The Gossiping Goddess: THEA Jewellery

Showing posts with label THEA Jewellery. Show all posts

Friday, 8 August 2014

Summer Sale - 30% Discount....

Well I've finally gotten to the end of my Bead Fest bead making marathon and all I have to do now is individually wrap each bead and pack them up ready to fly out ahead of me... not much to do there then!

While I've been busy with this preparation my Etsy shops have been a little neglected. Actually that's a bit of an understatement for my jewellery shop which for some time has needed a major overhaul and restock and I'm hoping to tackle this on my return from the US...after all I will have lots of new beads to play with.

In the meantime though, I've decided to pave the way by having a sale in both my shops. From now until close of play on Wednesday 14th August you can get 30% of all items using coupon code SUMMER30.

Components at THEA elements

Jewellery at THEA jewellery

I will be closing the shops on Thursday 15th August until early September so now is the time to grab yourself some great bargains.

Many thanks

Lesley

Thursday, 3 July 2014

AJE Component of the Month - June reveal

This months challenge components have been supplied by Linda who has very recently started working with clay and lovely pieces they were too...

I chose this pair of blue stoneware rose charms thinking that I would probably make a pair of earrings. However, they're quite large charms and I felt that to avoid making them too heavy my design would have to be quite simple - nothing wrong with that of course but it wouldn't make for the most interesting post for this challenge. So I decided instead to work with just one piece and create a necklace instead.

One of the things I liked about these pieces is the natural colour and texture of the stoneware. It's been quite warm here in the UK over the last couple of weeks and I'm one of those people who, as soon as the weather warms up breaks out the loose, natural linen clothes and Linda's charms are a perfect complement to that look. I also like to keep my jewellery quite streamlined and easy to wear in summer - nothing too fussy or heavy.

So the piece I made is a long beaded necklace that slips straight over the head and has the charm as the focal of a layered pendant section.

The necklace is strung on waxed linen with stone coloured farfalle beads, dark blue Czech glass saucer beads with a picasso finish and tiny brass spacers all from Smitten Beads. I've also used the brass spacers in the loops which attach the necklace to a lovely stone coloured lampwork hoop from Outwest.

The rose charm is suspended from the hoop along with two of my own bronzclay leaves on brass chain and finished with little blue Czech glass drops. I love the cool feel of this piece and it somehow seems quite calming.

I did try to work both charms into the necklace but couldn't get it to balance satisfactorily so I went with my default 'less is more' approach and I'm happy with the result.

You can see what the rest of the AJE team and our guests did with their challenge components using the links below.

Thanks for joining us.

Lesley

Guests
Ann Schroeder
Therese Frank
Mischelle Andrade Fanucchi

AJE Members

Susan Kennedy

Diana Ptaszynski

Linda Landig

LesleyWatt
MelissaMeman

Saturday, 31 May 2014

AJE Component of the Month - May Reveal

Each month one of the AJE team creates components for the rest of our team and a number of guests to design a piece of jewellery around. This months components were supplied by Sue Kennedy of Sue beads and I got to work with the cute set of chicklet beads second from the left in this picture...

Because these beads are flat I decided they would work well as bracelet focals but as I've made a few strung bracelets recently I wanted to do something different. I've always been fond of beaded copper bangles and used to make a lot of them so decided to go that route. These bangles are formed around a core of heavy gauge wire but on this occasion however, instead of wrapping the core with wire I decided to try wire macrame in order to get a flat band effect.

I threaded the beads onto the core with some Czech glass and copper accent beads and used 0.9mm copper wire to 'tie' simple square knots around it.

The ends of the core wire are looped with a couple of jump rings and a hand forged hook added to complete the bracelet. I used Liver of Sulphur to oxidise the wire and enhance the textural detail.

A fairly simple design but I really like this type of bangle and I think I may be making a few more.

You can see what everyone else made with their components by clicking on the links below and joining us on our blog hop.

Guests

AJE Members

Lesley

Saturday, 24 May 2014

Waxed Linen Blog Hop

Welcome to the Waxed Linen Blog Hop kindly and most ably hosted by the Diana Ptaszynski of Suburban Girl Studios.

I was even later than usual getting my pieces done for this hop to the point where I was still finishing up at 2am this morning so I had to keep them fairly simple. That's one of the things I love about waxed linen though - it's very easy to put something simple but eye catching together very quickly.

My first piece is a braided strung bracelet with a lovely pewter button clasp and heart charm from Mamacita Beadworks and rustic blue/grey seed beads from Smitten beads. The tails have been finished with some tiny pewter beads I was given as part of a bead soup four year ago. Very simple but the kind of thing I wear a lot.

My second piece is a reprise of a necklace I made last year with wire wrapped beads but this time I used double strands of waxed linen to string these lovely Czech glass beads - again from Smitten Smitten Beads, The ceramic heart focal is by Karen Totten of Starry Road Studio and the bronze text connector is by THEA elements - that's me!

the quote is from one of my favourite poems by W B Yeats...

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

And finally I whipped up a pair of five minute earrings using some red ceramic beads from our host Diana and some cream ceramic discs by me. A scrap of linen, a few copper accent beads and some ear wire and that's it done...I frequently make earrings like these when I'm about to go out and find I have none to match my outfits.

So those are are a few ways to use waxed linen and I'm sure the other participants will have demonstrated many more so I hope you will join up on the hop using the links below and many thanks to Diana for hosting this hop.

Have a great weekend.
Lesley

Diana Ptaszynski

Sunday, 18 May 2014

Time for a Giveaway...

Ever since I started this blog it's been on my to do list to set up a mailing list subscription option so that I can keep my followers up to date with what's going on. Well, three years later (where did that go...?) I've finally got around to it and there is now a sign up box in the side bar just beneath my profile.

My plan is to use this very sparingly to give people who subscribe advance notice of shop updates, sales and any special events that I might be taking part in. This probably won't amount to more than once a month with an occasional extra and subscribers can opt out at any time. The problem now of course is that I don't have contact details for any of those lovely people who have begun following my blog in those three years so I have nobody to send my updates to...isn't that sad.

So I need a little help in spreading the word and since you're all so good at that I think a giveaway is order. The giveaway prize is £30 GBP and free shipping to spend in either of my shops THEA Elements and THEA Jewellery and there will also be a couple of surprise prizes as well.

You can enter the draw by subscribing to the mailing list (the box in the side bar of this blog) and/or sharing this post in your social media networks. Simply leave a comment below letting me know how you have subscribed/shared and I will randomly select the winners on Sunday June 1st, publish the names here and notify them by email.

I'm also planning to do some random giveaways to subscribers from time to time so thank you for helping me get this off the ground and good luck!

Lesley

Saturday, 10 May 2014

8th Annual Bead Soup Blog Party Reveal

Welcome the the 2014 Bead Soup Blog Party and the 8th annual reveal for this event - the brainchild of Lori Anderson. If you don't know about BSBP you can find out all about it here. Since there are so many participants in this blog hop I plan to be economical with my words and let the pictures do the talking...lets face it that what we all want to see isn't it...beads, beads and more beads turned into beautiful Jewellery!

My partner for this year's hop is the talented lampwork artist Maryse Fritzsche -Thillens of Glass Bead Art and this is the fabulous bead soup she sent me all those weeks ago - not just a beautiful selection of her own organic beads but some lovely sterling silver pieces too...

As soon as I got these beads the big focal in the top left of the picture jumped out at me because it reminded of the beautiful Jurassic coastline not far from where I live...

This inspired my first necklace which uses beaded and braided waxed linen to give a layered effect and a curved sterling silver tube reminiscent of the many coves and inlets along this stretch of coastline.

The region is also a renowned site for fossil collecting so the silver spiral shell is a perfect finishing touch for this piece.

Next up comes a bracelet designed to show off the silver focal clasp along with some of Maryse's lovely sparkling rock beads. I found some silk that matched the beads perfectly and wove this through sections of chain and then oxidised the clasp to knock back the shine. The bracelet is finished with two Hill Tribe Silver rose charms. The cool palette and contrasting materials in this piece give it a mixed organic/urban feel.

With the addition of some Hill Tribe rings and some hammered wire I used the rest of the blue rocks to make a pair of earrings to go with the bracelet...

My favourite beads from the soup were the green/neutral toned rocks and I put some of these together with one of my own bronze leaf focals to make another bracelet. I am completely infatuated with rustic seed beads at the moment so multi strands of these in varying sizes were a no brainer.

The palest of the beads from this set I teamed up with the pretty green leaf headpins and a little ruffle of russet suede to create this fun pair of earrings.

All the while I was making these pieces I was going back and forth to that Silver butterfly focal and trying to do something spectacular with it but I wasn't happy with anything I came up with. In the end I decided I much preferred it with this very simple treatment of fine chain interspersed with Czech glass beads in graduated tones of blue and amber and a chain tail with matching teardrops.

Although I still had lots of beads to play with that's where I called it a day but I will of course be returning to the rest of my soup before too long. Many, many thanks to Maryse for sending a bead soup that was such a joy to work with and now I can't wait to see what she has made with the ingredients I sent her.

And as always, a huge thank you goes to Lori and her helpers for all the hours and hard work they've out in pulling off yet another awesome event - very well done ladies (and gent!).

Thanks you for visiting The Gossiping Goddess and I hope you will now join me and the rest of the BSBP participants on our mammoth blog hop using the links below.

Lesley

Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens www.glassbeadart.blogspot.com

Lori Anderson, Hostess www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Tina Bosh http://bookbug-somanybookssolittletime.blogspot.com/

Kristina Hahn Eleniak www.peacockandlime.wordpress.com

Kari Asbury www.hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com

Kris Binsfield www.cherishdesigns.wordpress.com

Cheryl Gangle www.RockCandyJewelryDesign.blogspot.com

Amber Dawn www.InventiveSoul.blogspot.com

Michelle Wigginton http://adornedonadelaide.weebly.com/

Kayla Potega http://teejewelry.blogspot.com/

Becky Pancake www.beckypancakebeaddesigns.blogspot.com

Debbie Rogers http://debbiestreasuresandgems.wordpress.com/

Jenny Kyrlach www.anafiassa.blogspot.com

Genea Crivello-Knable www.geneabeads.blogspot.com

Deborah Read www.deborahreadcom.blogspot.com

Julianna Cannon http://julsbeads.blogspot.com/

Lisa Liddy www.lisaliddy.wordpress.com

Debbie Rasmussen www.Kepirasmussen.blogspot.ca

Iveth Caruso www.creativeatelier.net/blog

Rana Wilson http://ranaleadesigns.blogspot.com/

Corrie Williams http://thecedarbeader.blogspot.com.au

Linda Anderson http://fromTheBeadBoard.blogspot.com

Miranda Ackerley http://blog.mirandack.com/

Andra Weber www.andrasjoyfuljourney.blogspot.com

Loretta Carstensen http://www.designsbyloretta.blogspot.com/

Penny Houghton www.smellynelly.blogspot.com.au

Tania Hagen http://pelimadesign.blogspot.co.nz/

Robin Reed www.willowdragon.blogspot.com

Laurie Vyselaar www.Lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com

Rachel Baron www.rbarondesigns.blogspot.com

Erin Guest www.renlish.com

Emma Todd www.apolymerpenchant.com

Kelly Schermerhorn http://meanderingwithkelly.blogspot.com/

Dana Hickey http://magpieapproved.blogspot.com

Rebecca Ednie http://eclecticendeavours.blogspot.com

Marybeth Rich http://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/

Sherri Levinton www.cuttergazette.blogspot.com

RaMona Woolson www.jerseygirlsbeadwork.blogspot.com

Jo-Ann Woolverton www.Itsabeadifulcreation.blogspot.ca

Audrey Belanger http://esperianterra.blogspot.ca/

Candida Castleberry http://spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com

Click below to read the full list...

AJE Component of the Month - April Reveal

This month's components for the AJE challenge were ceramic buttons made by yours truly which could be used alone or as clasps. I love button closures...it goes back to my childhood when my seamstress Grandmother used to make clothes for me that were invariably finished with the cutest fabric covered shank buttons with little brass hooks or embroidered loops. They've long been used for jewellery too and I started making them myself in metal clay early last year so, when I was looking for inspiration for this months COM, and came across my moulds I decided to make some up in clay.

The button I chose to use myself is a little round stoneware one with a shell imprint and one of my favourite rustic glazes in a lovely earthy cream with blue green marbling.

I also love ocean inspired jewellery and I knew I had some art beads that would work well with the clasp as well as a matching set of my own stoneware beads in the same glaze plus a lovely sea green. I've long been hoarding one of Karen's little whale beads and this was the perfect occasion to use it along with a cute lamp worked urchin bead from Caroline and a lamp worked soda bead from Jan Onipenco of Molten Mayhem. I also picked out some of my own bronze discs to add some texture and contrast.

I've made these up into a bracelet by simply stringing them on waxed Linen with seed bead spacers and finishing off with one of my bronze shell charms and a ceramic charm made with one of Caroline's tiny birds. I've named it 'Nantucket Sound' - I've never been there but from what I've read it just seemed appropriate.

I really like how this has come together and I think the button closure gives it a sense of continuity.

Please use the links below to see what the rest of the AJE team and our guests have created with the button closures they were given...

Guests
Johana Nunez
Leah Curtis
Perri Jackson

AJE Team
Lesley Watt
Keirsten GIles
Caroline Dewison
Rebekah Payne
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Jen Cameron
Diana Ptaszynski
Kristen Stevens
Francesca Watson
Melissa Meman
Linda Landig
Sue Kennedy

Lesley

Thursday, 24 April 2014

BEADFEST Bound...!

Since I've been part of the online beading community I've become friends with many artists and designers from the USA and every year I suffer from acute attacks of envy when they all start preparing to show at or visit BEADFEST in Philadelphia. By comparison with most UK shows this event is HUGE and unlike most UK shows attracts large numbers of artisan bead makers for the three day expo. Not only that - over five days there are literally dozens upon dozens of workshops covering just about every aspect of jewellery making you might wish to try your hand at.

Well this year there will be no envy and no living vicariously through other people's photos because, thanks to some of my wonderful friends and AJE team mates I will be heading out to the USA on 18th August for a two week trip which will include BEADFEST. I am actually going to be there in person and I cannot begin to tell you how excited this makes me!!!

I can't thank these guys enough for their generosity in hosting me and helping me organise this trip...

AJE Beadfesters Susan Kennedy, Linda Landig, (Genea Crivello-Knable photo-bombing), Karen Totten, Jennifer Stout-Cameron, Jenny Davies-Reazor and Diana Ptaszynski

Here's a sneak peek at just a few of the things I have to look forward to including my hosts doing what they do best...

Diana's Suburban Girl booth from Beadfest 2013

And some of her lovely beads...

Jenny and her booth...

And her fabulous Goddess pendants...I wonder if she has one that gossips...?

Jen at her Glass Addictions booth...

And her amazing "Nightmare Insomnia' beads...

And here's a selection of gorgeous goodies from some more artisan bead makers...clockwise from the left Joan Miller Porcelain, Staci-Louise Smith - SL Artisan Accents, Genea Crivello-Kable - Genea Beads and Karen Totten - Starry Road Studio.

Green Girl Studios are most definitely on my shopping list...but then who isn't!

Mmmmmm - pretty!

I think there may also be one or two more of my beady friends and customers around that I might just be able to catch up with in person - how fantastic is that...?! And of course, I will be taking a 'few' of my own beads with me too - you can't go visiting friends and not take gifts can you!

Many thanks to Diana, Jenny and Jen for the photographs

I'm sure you'll hear more from me about this is the coming weeks as I try not to bore everyone to death in my excitement. Now I need to go and pin a calendar on the wall and start crossing the days off...If you're going to BEADFEST I look forward to seeing you there!

Lesley

Wednesday, 23 April 2014

Shop Update

I'm having a little shop update tonight with new bronze and ceramic pieces before I take a short break to work on my Bead Soup and a few other projects. Pop by and take a look at THEA Elements

Cheers.

Lesley

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